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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · swing · lash · stem · wax · calf · sharp · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. swing — music
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. degree — an amount
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com